Writing utensil with scale having a reference guide
A marking utensil comprises an elongated body having opposite ends, with the body defining a plurality of outwardly-directed surfaces between the ends. A scale is displayed on at least one surface of the plurality, with at least one surface of the plurality configured for placement along an exteriority of the article to facilitate a measurement thereof. The scale may display U.S. Customary (i.e., inches) and/or Metric International System (i.e., centimeters) Units of measure. A marking tip is located at one end of the body while a reference guide is located at the body's other end.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/933,975, filed on Nov. 11, 2019.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to writing utensils bearing a scale for measuring articles. More specifically, the invention relates to writing utensils bearing a scale and having a reference guide for readily aligning the scale in relation to the article.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWithin the construction and carpentry trades, the ready measurement and marking of articles, such as pieces of lumber or other construction materials, regularly occurs. Thus tradesman often carry and utilize a variety of measuring and marking instruments, to include various rulers, measuring tapes, carpenter's pencils and crayons, as well as markers. However, having to carry and utilize this variety of instruments proves cumbersome within a hectic construction or carpentry environment where a great many tools are utilized.
Also, traditional measuring instruments, such as yardsticks and twelve inch rulers, tend to be both inefficient and oversized, thus making them ill-suited for taking quick measurements of smaller articles or within confined spaces. The inefficiency of these instruments is exemplified by their lack of a reference guide that enables a user to readily align them with an article's edge for the ready determination of a measurement therefrom. The lack of this reference guide thus requires a user of traditional marking instruments to manually align a marking or end of a given instrument with the edge of the article; thus requiring a more careful use of the instrument. While, traditional T-squares and similar instruments having a reference guide are present within the prior art, their larger size again makes them ill-suited for measuring smaller articles and obtaining measurements within confined spaces.
Furthermore, the flat configuration of traditional measuring instruments at times makes their use difficult where a user is required to view the instruments from a location about directly above the instrument's face. However, having to view the instrument from this vantage point is often not possible when measuring in confined areas. Moreover, all of these aforementioned instruments lack having a writing instrument incorporated therein, thus requiring one to carry separated measuring and marking instruments.
Thus, what is needed is a combination measuring and marking instrument that obviates the foregoing disadvantages. The present invention does this and provides other advantages over the prior art as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to writing utensils bearing a scale for measuring articles. More specifically, the invention relates to writing utensils bearing a scale and having a reference guide for readily aligning the scale in relation to the article. The marking utensil comprises an elongated body having opposite ends, with the body defining a plurality of outwardly-directed surfaces between the ends. A scale is displayed on at least one surface of the plurality, with at least one surface of the plurality configured for placement along an exteriority of the article to facilitate a measurement thereof. The scale may display U.S. Customary (i.e., inches) and/or Metric International System (i.e., centimeters) Units of measure. A marking tip is located at one end of the body while the reference guide is located at the body's other end.
The guide comprises an abutment surface configured for placement along an edge of the article and is preferably about perpendicular to at least the surface of the plurality configured for placement along the article's exteriority. The abutment surface preferably defines a planar face configured for placement against the edge of the article. To facilitate fast and efficient measurement, the reference guide extends outwardly of at least the surface configured for placement against the article's exteriority such that the abutment surface abuts the article's edge when one of the surfaces of the utensil's body is placed against the article's exteriority.
This invention relates generally to writing utensils bearing a scale for measuring articles. More specifically, the invention relates to writing utensils bearing a scale and having a reference guide for readily aligning the scale in relation to the article.
Referring initially to
The reference guide 40 of the utensil 5 is located at one end of the body 10, preferably opposite the end having the marking tip 35. As illustrated in the figures, the reference guide 40 is located at end 20 of the body 10, opposite the marking tip 35 located at end 15. However, it is understood that the guide 40 and tip 35 may be located at respective ends 15 and 20 as well. The guide 40 comprises an abutment surface 42 configured for placement along an edge 28 of the article 27 and is preferably about perpendicular to at least the surface 25 of the plurality configured for placement along the article's exteriority 26. However, it is understood that the abutment surface 42 may be displaced from at least that surface by any number of angular degrees as well.
The abutment surface 42 preferably defines a planar face configured for placement against the edge 28 of the article 27. To facilitate fast and efficient measurement, the reference guide 40 extends outwardly of at least the surface 25 configured for placement against the article's exteriority 26 such that the abutment surface 42 abuts the article's edge 28 when one of the surfaces 25 of the utensil's body is placed against the article's exteriority 26. The scale 30 originates at the abutment surface 40 such that the scale's graduated markings increase in value there-from. Thus, the abutment surface 42 of the reference guide 40 defines a zero-point 43 for the graduated scale 30.
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment of
As illustrated in
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment of
As illustrated in
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment of
As illustrated in
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment of
As illustrated in
In use, the body of a marking utensil bearing a scale is placed against an exteriority of the article, the body having opposite ends, defining a plurality of outwardly-directed surfaces between the ends and displaying a scale on at least one surface of the plurality. An abutment surface of the reference guide of the body is located against an edge of the article, the abutment surface defining a zero point for the scale. The location of graduated marking of the scale is thereafter read in relation to a desired portion of the article to be measured.
While this foregoing description and accompanying figures are illustrative of the present invention, other variations in structure and method are possible without departing from the invention's spirit and scope.
Claims
1. A marking utensil for measuring an article comprising:
- an elongated body having opposite ends, the body defining a plurality of outwardly directed surfaces between the ends, each outwardly directed surface gradually increasing in width along a length of that surface from a first width defined by that surface at one end of the body to a second width defined by that surface at the other end of the body, at least one outwardly directed surface configured for placement against an exteriority of the article and defining a plane;
- a pair of scales displayed on the elongated body;
- a marking tip located at said one end of the body; and
- a reference guide located at said other end of the body, the guide having an abutment surface configured for placement against an edge of the article and defining a zero point for each of the pair of scales.
2. The marking utensil of claim 1 wherein the body comprises three planar surfaces defining a triangular cross-section, one scale of the pair displayed on one of the three surfaces and indicating graduated inches, the other scale of the pair displayed on another of the three surfaces and indicating graduated centimeters.
3. A marking utensil for measuring an article comprising:
- an elongated body having opposite ends, the body defining a plurality of outwardly directed surfaces between the ends, at least one outwardly directed surface configured for placement against an exteriority of the article and defining a plane;
- a pair of scales displayed on the elongated body;
- a marking tip located at one end of the body;
- a reference guide located at the other end of the body, the guide having an abutment surface configured for placement against an edge of the article and defining a zero point for each of the pair of scales, the body comprising four planar surfaces defining a trapezoidal cross section having no 90 degree corners, one scale of the pair displayed on one of the four surfaces and indicating graduated inches, the other scale of the pair displayed on another of the four surfaces and indicating graduated centimeters, the surfaces displaying the scales not having a parallel relation to one another.
4. The marking utensil of claim 1 wherein the body comprises four planar surfaces defining a cross-section having 90 degree corners, one scale of the pair displayed on one of the four surfaces and indicating graduated inches, the other scale of the pair displayed on another of the four surfaces and indicating graduated centimeters, the surfaces displaying the scales located in opposing relation to one another.
5. The marking utensil of claim 1 wherein body comprises a planar surface and an arcuate surface, one scale of the pair displayed on the arcuate surface and indicating graduated inches originating at the zero point, the other scale of the pair displayed on the arcuate surface and indicating graduated centimeters originating at the zero point, said other scale located in opposing relation to said one scale about the arcuate surface.
6. A method of measuring an article with a writing utensil comprising:
- placing an elongated body of the utensil against the article, the body having opposite ends and defining a plurality of outwardly-directed surfaces between the ends and displaying a pair of scales, each outwardly directed surface gradually increasing in width along a length of that surface from a first width defined by that surface at one end of the body to a second width defined by that surface at the other end of the body;
- locating an abutment surface of a reference guide of the body against an edge of the article, the abutment surface guide defining a zero point for each of the pair of scales; and
- reading the location of at least one graduated marking of the scale in relation to a desired portion of the article.
60315 | December 1866 | Worcester |
206410 | July 1878 | Adler |
575671 | January 1897 | Watts et al. |
942771 | December 1909 | Breining |
1505264 | August 1924 | Hilmerson |
1607097 | November 1926 | Murphy |
1806849 | May 1931 | Gelardi |
2251640 | August 1941 | Skrainka |
2388252 | November 1945 | Crane |
2518128 | August 1950 | Dufilho |
3568923 | March 1971 | Chapman |
3764064 | October 1973 | Gaidos et al. |
D258911 | April 14, 1981 | Sandel |
D264824 | June 8, 1982 | Sandel |
4403418 | September 13, 1983 | Vagias |
D272421 | January 31, 1984 | Sandel |
D286646 | November 11, 1986 | Mori |
4815881 | March 28, 1989 | Chern |
D301043 | May 9, 1989 | Castle |
D375759 | November 19, 1996 | Piscatelli |
D422309 | April 4, 2000 | Bond |
D492346 | June 29, 2004 | Huang |
D539682 | April 3, 2007 | Huang |
D564585 | March 18, 2008 | Wertime |
D624123 | September 21, 2010 | Huang |
D660910 | May 29, 2012 | Carpenter |
8864397 | October 21, 2014 | Ryan |
2764616 | July 2013 | CA |
87209882 | June 1988 | CN |
2758114 | October 2003 | CN |
201456730 | May 2010 | CN |
201597317 | October 2010 | CN |
201833689 | May 2011 | CN |
201931827 | August 2011 | CN |
102358092 | February 2012 | CN |
202242544 | May 2012 | CN |
202727721 | February 2013 | CN |
103802546 | May 2014 | CN |
103895399 | July 2014 | CN |
104309363 | January 2015 | CN |
204149715 | February 2015 | CN |
204605286 | September 2015 | CN |
105500965 | April 2016 | CN |
105783621 | July 2016 | CN |
205523224 | August 2016 | CN |
- US 8,801,309 B2, 08/2014, Ryan (withdrawn)
Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 11, 2020
Date of Patent: Mar 19, 2024
Patent Publication Number: 20210276361
Inventor: Ben Stultz (West Chicago, IL)
Primary Examiner: George B Bennett
Application Number: 17/095,713
International Classification: B43K 29/08 (20060101); B43K 19/14 (20060101); G01B 3/04 (20060101);